Wild Nights With My Brother’s Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 168

NICOLE

“Nikki!”

I only feel better once I step out the door and find myself in the parking lot. Then, I slow down and give Roman a chance to catch up to me.

He reaches me and places both his hands on my shoulders to steer me around. We’re facing each other now and the panic I see in his eyes takes me aback.

“Is it because of Laura? Look, baby, she’s the one who’s-”

“What?” I interrupt. “What are you talking about?”

Roman looks stunned. “Why’d you run out like a maniac, then?”

“it’s nothing.”

“Nikki.”

“I thought | saw something. That’s all. It was nothing. Let’s just…go home.”

When Roman says nothing, I start toward the car. I’m aware of his eyes on me but I really wish he would just drop the subject because I really don’t want to think about any of this. I don’t want to talk about it either.

At last, he joins me but I’m aware of how slowly he’swalking. His eyes haven’t left me for a second and I know I’m leaving him hanging, but I make a point of not looking his way.

He unlocks the car and we get in. Now that we’re here and away from that place, I feel so bad about just walking out like that.

But I couldn’t control my emotions.

I went to the bathroom and everything seemed to be going…normally. That was, until I walked out. I was adjusting the strap of my bag and when I looked up, I could’ve sworn that I saw Dan’s face in the crowd before it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

He was right there. I stood in the same spot for a few seconds, trying to figure out if I was dreaming or something. I’d only had a cocktail so far. I was far from drunk.

Seeing him really upset me. Ever since this whole pregnancy thing happened with Emeralda, and even the baby Haley’s expecting, I’ve been unwell. I’ve been thinking a lot about Dan, and I catch myself wishing I could hurt him every time I’m distracted.

I’ve just been thinking about him nonstop. It’s starting to mess with me.

It’s crazy that I’ve never truly wanted children. I just never felt like I had the time. What would even pass down to a child? What do I know myself? Here I am, an adult makingcountless mistakes all the time. How can I be someone’s paternal figure? Someone a child will look up to?

Someone who’ll hold a life in their hands and shape it?

No. Parenthood has always been scary to me.

But now that it’s been snatched from me in such a cold way…it really stings. I wish so many things had happened differently. It had to be my choice, right? Not Dan’s.

What right did he have to take it from me?

So, obviously, I know that Dan’s in prison. So, there’s no way I saw him in that club. Why would he even be there?

Who would’ve let him in? That’s why I don’t want to tell Roman about this.

Why should I give him a reason to worry when it’s probably nothing?

I’m sure he doesn’t believe that everything is alright but I’m hoping he’ll drop the matter as soon as we get home.

I’m staring out the window distractedly, not paying attention to where we’re going until he parks the car in its usual płace.

Then, he kills the engine and we sit in silence.

“Don’t beat yourself up about it,” he says before kissing me again and again. He runs his fingers through my hair, making the curls looser. “It really isn’t that important.

Genuinely. Come on. Let’s head upstairs.”

Roman keeps, an arm tightly around me as we head upstairs. I have to admit that I start to feel a little better but everything changes when his phone starts ringing in the elevator and he has no choice but to answer it. “Yes?”

He listens attentively for a handful of seconds before pinching the bridge of his nose. I wonder what this is about. I watch him but have no idea of what’s going on.

He hangs up without saying a word to whoever is on the other end of the phone and looks at me with a grave expression.It’s my turn to ask, “What’s wrong?”

Roman takes a deep breath. “I wouldn’t have told you this, baby. I wish I didn’t have to. But we made a pact not to have any secrets.

“Emeralda,” I say, because it can only be her.

He stares at me for several seconds, looking guilty and not saying a word. “She had an emergency. I’m the only person they have to call.”

I nod, ignoring how tight my throat feels. “Sure. Of course.”

He places his hands on my arms. “Baby…l know-”

“I don’t want to hear an apology, Roman. You have to do what you have to do and that’s the end of it. Just go, alright? You have to. You don’t have a choice.”

Roman nods. We stop on our floor and I step out. I turn to look at him again before the elevator door closes and he tells me, “I love you, alright?”

I force a smile, but once the door closes, everything hits me all at once and l’ve never felt this depressed.